I enjoy the way water lily leaves scatter themselves across quiet ponds. Monet portrayed such ponds in his wonderful impressionistic oil paintings. For this photograph I decided not to go for an impressionistic effect, but instead to show in sharp detail the chaotic scattering of lily leaves close up. A recent rain left water drops on each leaf--a design that echos the water lilies themselves. I found this scene on a small pond in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

To make this photograph I pulled off my boots, slipped into shorts and sneakers, then eased into the chilly autumn water. After taking the photograph, I extracted my feet from the pond bottom ooze, then checked my legs for leeches--fortunately there weren't any!